Saudi Arabia is set to host the region’s first factory for manufacturing unmanned flying ambulances, after Al Raya Security Systems signed an agreement with and Germany’s Avilus, Al Raya’s CEO Firas Fawaz Al Hadrawi told Asharq Business (watch, runtime: 5:59). The agreement follows an MoU signed between the two firms last month.

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The project will launch with an initial investment of SAR 50 mn, which is expected to reach SAR 1 bn as production lines are completed. The first locally produced flying ambulance is anticipated by mid-2027. The companies are now in the process of acquiring the necessary licenses.

Heavy lifting: The AI-equipped ambulances can carry patients up to 170 kg and medical equipment, while transmitting vital signs to treatment centers and providing in-flight support. They are designed to speed up emergency response in remote and difficult-to-reach locations like high altitudes, flooded areas, and highway accidents.

A strategic pivot: The plan shifted from importing the ambulances from Germany to manufacturing them locally, a decision driven by Saudi Arabia’s favorable regulatory and industrial environment, Al-Hadrawi said.

The sky will be busy with drones: US-based Matternet M2 delivery drones received regulatory approval in January, while the UAE’s Aramex planned to launch a drone delivery project by February, and Flynas has testing its eCopter prototype this year. In the industrial sector, Japan’s Terra Drone partnered with Aramco in April for facility inspection drone tests. The Interior Ministry has also deployed high-altitude road security drones.

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